Guest Speakers and Performers


Lieutenant General Christopher F Burne, USAF (retired), was the 17th Judge Advocate General of the Air Force. Following the lead of his father, a highly decorated World War II Eighth Air Force veteran, he was commissioned in 1983, retiring from active duty as a 3-star general after 35-years of service.  He is a two-time recipient of the AF Distinguished Service Medal.

As the Air Force’s top uniformed lawyer, General Burne served as the Legal Advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff.  He was responsible for the professional direction of 4,500 military and civilian attorneys, paralegals, and administrative civilians, overseeing military justice, operational and international law, litigation, and civil law functions.  During his illustrious career, he twice deployed to the Persian Gulf region, and he was on duty in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, during the terrorist attack.

General Burne is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.  He currently serves on the Executive Committee of The Lincoln Forum and on the Board of Directors of The Saint John XXIII Foundation. He is the President of Charged With Excellence, a company he founded for leadership consulting and public speaking.  He resides in Gettysburg with his wife, retired Air Force Colonel, Robin Burne.  They have two sons who are both officers in the United States Army.


Commissioner, Vice Chairman Jim Martin began his first term as CountyCommissioner in 2012. He was born and raised in Adams County and graduated from Gettysburg High School. He and his wife Ginny have resided in Menallen Township and Butler Township for the past 37 years, homeschooling their four children, who are all now college graduates and married.

Commissioner Martin holds an Associate Degree and Bachelors Degree in Forestry and a Masters Degree in Agricultural Economics.  Following formal education, Commissioner Martin was employed by the Farmers Home Administration as a County Supervisor of two counties.  This position provided invaluable experience implementing and managing governmental loan programs for individuals and farmers and coordinating with local governmental agencies. 

Commissioner Martin has been employed by local food manufacturers where he was recognized for his cost effective supervision.  During the middle of his career, Commissioner Martin and his family saw the need to minister to troubled young men.  While in that capacity, Commissioner Martin implemented an educational program to help these young men earn a high school diploma.  For the 11 years prior to becoming an Adams County Commissioner, Jim Martin was self-employed as a licensed REALTOR.  As a full-time REALTOR, Commissioner Martin has completed many real estate transactions, both residential and commercial, throughout Adams County.  This experience helped Jim become very familiar with all corners of Adams County.  Commissioner Martin's commitment to serve his community is exhibited by over 30 years of volunteer work with youth programs and prison ministries.

Near the end of 2010 Commissioner Martin was convinced that he should run for County Commissioner. Commissioner Martin considers it a great honor to have been elected by the citizens of Adams County and is humbled to know that he and the other commissioners are entrusted with the administrative decisions of county government.  Making those decisions comes with much responsibility. Commissioner Martin strives to make these decisions based on his experience and wise counsel.

Since becoming Commissioner, Jim Martin has expanded his opportunities to serve Adams County by serving on various boards as director or chairman.  Commissioner Martin is presently Chairman of the Adams County Prison Board, and is a director on the following boards: Adams County Office for Aging, South Central Workforce Investment Board, The 4-H Club, CCAP Agricultural Committee, Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, Adams County Conservation District, and the PComp.
 


Zach Bolitho is the Deputy Superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site. A 25-year National Park Service veteran, Bolitho began his civil service career as a Rural Training Instructor with the United State Peace in the South Pacific, Solomon Islands. Since then, Zach and has held leadership roles at multiple parks across the country. He previously served as Division Lead for Resource Stewardship and Planning at Gettysburg NMP and Eisenhower NHS. Bolitho holds a B.S. in Conservation of Natural Resources and an M.S. in Environmental Biology. He is known for his collaborative leadership style and commitment to historic preservation.


Christopher Gwinn is a fifteen-year veteran of the National Park Service. He is a 2006 graduate of Gettysburg College and holds a Masters Degree in Public History. He has worked as an Interpretive Park Ranger at Antietam National Battlefield, Boston National Historical Park, and the National Mall and Memorial Parks, where he created some of the first public programming conducted at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Currently the Chief of Interpretation and Education at Gettysburg National Military Park, he manages and oversees all aspects of the visitor experience, and has written numerous articles and journal entries on the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War era.



Jari Villanueva retired from the United States Air Force, where he spent 23 years with the United States Air Force Band in Washington, DC. He is also retired from the state of Maryland, where he served as Director of Military Funeral Honors from 2008 to 2017. He is regarded as the country’s foremost expert on military bugle calls, particularly the call of Taps, which is played at military funerals. October 2024, Villanueva was appointed President of The Doughboy Foundation, which supports programs, projects, and activities that educate the public about America’s participation in World War I. His primary focus is overseeing the National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC. Jari serves as the President Emeritus of Taps For Veterans and is the founder of Taps Across America, an annual event that occurs at 3 pm on Memorial Day.


The Maryland Military Band is a 501(c)(3) non-profit musical and educational organization in the state of Maryland. Founded in 2017, the Band follows the model of the nation’s premiere military bands by developing well-trained musical ensembles to perform music from the concert band, wind band, and military band repertoire in a variety of ceremonial and concert settings.

The Maryland Military Band performs public concerts for the enjoyment of the citizens of Maryland and is also available to provide musical support to various state, local, and military agencies as well as non-governmental organizations for ceremonies, receptions, other official functions and special events, including civic and patriotic activities in the state of Maryland and the surrounding region. The Band strives for the highest standards in both musical performance and ceremonial protocol, seeking to provide a professional level of ceremonial and musical support that can meet the needs of any government agency, military unit, or veteran service organization. The Band is known for its “theme” concerts which often recognize or commemorate important occasions or anniversaries in the history of our nation and our state.

The all-volunteer membership of The Maryland Military Band includes former and retired musicians from military bands including The US Air Force Band, The US Army Field Band, The US Marine Band, National Guard bands, and The Maryland Defense Force Band, as well as other former and retired members of the US military who served in non-musical fields, current and former music educators, music students, professional free-lance performers, and community members from all walks of life who share a love of military band music.

For more information about The Maryland Military Band, to find out more about joining the Band, or to request the Band’s performance, please send us an e-mail at info@marylandmilitaryband.org.  You can also find The Maryland Military Band on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarylandMilitaryBand/



The Gettysburg Choral Society, Inc.
The Gettysburg Choral Society, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization composed of auditioned singers who volunteer their talents to pursue excellence in choral music performance.

For more information:
The Gettysburg Choral Society, Inc. 



Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania is a 501(c)3 Organization
P. O. Box 3372, Gettysburg, PA  17325

Email:  lincolnfellowshipofpa@gmail.com

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software